...and so is this unreal Steve Rolfe/Charlie Miller tape. Put on the headphones and crank it. You are in the old Boston Garden, it's 1981, the new guy Brent's up to speed, everyone's in a good mood, and it's ON.
The Let It Grow is so stunning that, instead of leaving, Jerry fires off a 90mph Franklin's Tower so the crowd won't fade away at set break. And it's a wild-ass Tower. Jerry yells, If you get confused, listen to the music! Full stop, then rips a crazed electric fiddle-sounding solo. The "same as it never was" Talking Heads-like Franklin's windup is really cool, then Bob thanks the crowd. After set one. Back in a flash– don't do anything stupid!
And there are others in this show that could also become someone's favorite(s)...the tough Larry Bird Song, the play-this-one-when-I-die Althea, the joyous and trippy Playin' in the Barn, the He's Gone & coda...there's more...some singular jams...it's all hot. And again, this Steve Rolfe recording-Charlie Miller xfer is just unreal. It was the vocal PAs that were messed up to start, not the recording, but it adds to the fun in a couple of spots in Jackstraw, and helps bury Jerry's hilarious Tennessee Jed opening line oops. Drink all day and rock all night, listen to the whistle of the evening train. Law come to git ya if ya don't sing right! It's a party-all-night Jed...no winks under the bed.

Start with the "Tuning" and just bask in this show from right down front. All of Jerry's friends came to see him that night, the joint was rocking, goin' round and round, Bob was playing a guitar like he was ringing a tower bell, Phil was bombs away, the drums were tight, tasty, and bangin', Brent was bringing his 28-yr old energy, and the trip to Terrapin North Station was most triumphant. "Good luck to the Celtics."

Mahalo to Steve Rolph for sending his audience masters to Charlie Miller! Great example of how using microphones from the floor to capture the music was sometimes superior to soundboard. On this particular evening Jerry really bent the strings, and this recording really lets you feel it!

This is the only time Let it Grow > Franklin's Tower was played. In the fall of 1977 the two songs were played in this order, but there is a break between them.

Weirdest pairing with Let it Grow? In 1989, Let it Grow > US Blues, to end the first set.

Seems like about half of the time, once Let it Grow began to stand on its own, it was the walk-off moment for the first set - that classic Bobby "We're gonna take a short break and be back in a little bit." The rest of the time Jerry asserts himself and ends the set with a Deal, a Don't Ease Me In, or something along those lines.

Highlights: Playing In The Band, He's Gone, Black Peter

The second set of this show hasn't really grabbed me thus far, but I had to do a shout out for the wild Franklin's Tower that ends set one - holy shit - Jerry goes absolutely ballistic on the final jam! The preceding LIG is no slouch either, and there's also a very well played Bird Song earlier in the set, keeping with the motif of fantastic versions from March '81.

This is a fine show. Great recording. Love this era.

Really good underrated show. Best sounding source also. The Playin in set 2 is awesome, as is the Let it Grow--Franklins in set 1.

This was my first show. I was fourteen and had never listened to the dead before. I had a fantastic time, but at the time didn't appreciate how sweet and subtle and rocking music could be at the same time. Listen.

THANKS AGAIN CHARLIE FOR ALLLL YOUR HARD WORK. You really have made Searching for the sound that much more enjoyable!

fantastic show....sound is superb, but the band, wow, fast, fast, fast.